How One Single Person Inspired Me To Help Make The World A Softer Place

Good Morning readers, I’m so excited to share today’s post with you because it’s about something that we all need to be reminded of – being selfless and spreading softness in the world. I realize that you may not know what “spreading softness” means so allow me to explain. If you’ve ever tried on a piece of clothing by Splendid then you know how incredibly soft and cozy the material is. However, Splendid believes that softness doesn’t stop at their fabrics, which is exactly why they recently launched their #SpreadSoftness campaign to help make the world a softer place. The Splendid team says, “Softness is about appreciating one another, sharing special moments and being a catalyst for kindness.” Even giving back in the smallest way can make the biggest impact on someone else’s life.

When Splendid asked me to be apart of their #SpreadSoftness campaign, one specific person immediately came to mind, Sarah Conque. She continuously gives back to the world in a tremendous way and is a huge inspiration to me. I honestly can’t think of a more selfless and deserving person, which is why I nominated Sarah as my “Splendid Softie” and sent her the second tee in my #spreadsoftness tee soft pack.  For those of you who don’t know Sarah, I am honored to share her courageous and heart warming story with you.

[Sarah Conque and Nika wearing their exclusive #SpreadSoftness tees]

Sarah Conque is a 29 year old missionary and advocate for children with disabilities mainly in Haiti, but also in Louisiana. She is currently the legal guardian of two and half year old Nika who is diagnosed with Hydranencephaly, which is a rare condition in which the brain’s cerebral hemispheres are absent and replaced by sacs filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Doctors believe that she most likely had a stroke while in utero which caused the Hydranencephaly. In her case, she was left with less than 0.5% of brain tissue, which is why the doctors say her diagnosis is, “incompatible with life.” So the fact that she is turning three in a few months is completely a miracle in more ways than one.

Sarah came into Nika’s life when she was only three months old during her two year mission trip in Haiti where she volunteered full time at a pediatric medical facility. Due to Nika’s severe health issues, Sarah worked with Nika’s birth mother for a total of nine months to make sure that she was provided with the best available resources to help support Nika. Sarah’s advocacy on Nika’s behalf helped make it possible for Nika to receive her first neurosurgery at a hospital in the capital city of Port Au Prince at only five months old. Post surgery, Sarah assisted Nika’s mother for six more months to offer the support, education, and resources needed for her to care for Nika.

Unfortunately, after some time Sarah realized that the mother was not willing to make Nika’s health needs a priority so she felt compelled to personally check on Nika in her home. Sarah was devastated when she saw Nika’s appalling living circumstances. Not only was she alone in her house surrounded by trash, but she was also malnourished weighing a mere six pounds at the age of 11 months. An estimated three to four pounds of that weight being fluid build up.  Seeing that Nika needed someone who could give her the love and attention she deserved as well as the necessary medical care that her rare condition requires, Sarah did everything in her power to gain legal guardianship of Nika. During this time Nika’s organs were failing and it was truly a miracle that Sarah was able to get her the care that saved her life. Since that day, which is almost two years ago now, Sarah has selflessly cared for Nika as her own, which brings me to why Sarah and Nika’s story inspires me to make the world a softer place.

We all worry about what our future holds and this woman was more concerned about what someone else’s future held than her own and I can’t think of any better way to spread softness than to put someone else’s life before yours. Obviously, we can’t all take in children with special needs, but we’re all capable of doing something as simple as helping an elderly person get their groceries into their car instead of rushing home after the grocery store or helping a pregnant woman get her luggage off the carousel at the airport instead of just worrying about finding your own.

Be aware of the people around you and think of what you can offer them. You never know how many other people you might inspire to do the same. Sarah and Nika’s story encourages me to rise up everyday and give back to the world in any way that I can and I’ve never even had the honor of meeting her. I only found her through a story that a mutual friend posted on Facebook. So that just goes to show how much you can inspire someone to “spread softness” even from a distance. I coach a special needs cheerleading squad with my mom and best friend for one hour every week and I’m completely exhausted after just that one hour. I know how much patience and attentiveness a special needs child requires so I can only imagine the kind of humble person that would choose that type of everyday life to save someone else’s. It’s my pleasure to share her story in hopes that she can continue to spread softness throughout the world.

If you’re interested in reading the full story, you can visit her website at littlewarriornika.com | Follow along with Nika’s daily updates on Facebook: Little Warrior Nika & Instagram @littlewarriornika

I would love if you joined me in Splendid LA’s #spreadsoftness initiative by entering the giveaway on my Instagram today where you can comment and tag the biggest “softies” in your life. The winner will receive a two pack of exclusive Splendid tees that you can only receive from this giveaway!

Prize/Official Rules: One randomly selected winner will receive two exclusive Splendid “Soft Tees” and Soft Pack bag. Size and style of “Soft Tees” are subject to availability (approx. retail value $160). PT. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. U.S. residents only, ages 18+. Subject to Official Rules (bit.ly/splendidsoftsweeps). Not sponsored by Instagram, LLC. On/about (END DATE: Friday, June 10, 2016), Splendid will randomly select one winner from all eligible entries and contact him/her via email

For more details, visit @HauteOffTheRack on Instagram and find the below image on my page.

| Shop My Top Picks From Splendid’s Softest Styles Below |

P.S. See how I recently styled a pair of shoes by Splendid here–> Nude Shoes You Need Now 

Oh and Keep your eyes out to see how I styled my Splendid sleeveless button down on the blog later this week, which happens to be on major sale! Sneak peek below!

| Shop This Look |

This post is in partnership with Splendid, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.